Profile information
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Host is looking for help immediately
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Host rating
100 %
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Last replied
22 Oct 2026
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Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
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Feedback
67
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Email verified
Country info
Badges (3)
Find your perfect host
Min stay requested: at least a week
Details
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Description
Housesitter wanted
- Saturday 19 December to Sunday 3 January
I'm away for two weeks in the Netherlands over Christmas, and I'm looking for someone to look after the house and Conan, the cat. Nobody else is home, so you'd have the house and the land to yourself. If you're after a quiet place to read, write or walk for a while, this is it.
It's a quiet stay. Conan feeds himself from a robot and goes outside, so he just needs his supply topped up and someone around. Plants inside need water once a week. And there are some jobs here and there that you can pick up if you want. That's it.
The vegetable garden is asleep by then, but there's still lamb's lettuce, winter spinach and winter purslane out there. Help yourself. If you enjoy splitting and stacking firewood there's plenty of that too, but only if you feel like it.
You get your own room in the house and the kitchen is yours. You need a car here. We're in the Morvan, 25 minutes from Autun, and there's no bus. You'll need it for groceries, and for the vet if Conan gets ill. It gets cold and it gets dark early, and the seat next to the stove is the best one in the house.
Come a few days before I leave, so we can get to know each other and I can show you how everything works.
Sounds like your kind of Christmas? Send me a message and tell me a bit about yourself.
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Salut! I'm Stef, 44 and Dutch. I live with my three kids (4, 7 and 10) on an old farm in the Morvan, a regional park in Burgundy. The house and the land were neglected for 20 years before I bought the place nine years ago. It's about 6000 m² (1.5 acres). Part of it I've tamed, the rest is wild and keeps trying to take over again.
I'm a single dad. The kids are with me every other week, so some weeks it's just you and me in the house. I want women especially to know this upfront, so you can decide if that feels right for you.
There's a lot to do here and I can't do it alone. Outside there's the land and a vegetable garden. Then there's a long list of things to fix and build, and the house itself needs keeping up. You don't need experience. If you're handy, even better.
You work on your own most days. The jobs are written out on a board, you pick what suits you and you plan your own hours. I have a job during the week and I work from home, so I mostly join in at the weekend. That suits people who like to get on with things by themselves. I try to have a few Workawayers here at the same time, so you'll be working together.
I've hosted a lot of Workawayers and I'm grateful for everything they've done here. I welcome people of all ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities and genders.
A few times a year I'm away and need a housesitter. If I'm looking for one, it's at the top of this profile.
Want to come and help? Just send me a message. -
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
House & pet sitting
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Interests
Hitchhiking
Drawing & painting
DIY & crafts
Culture
Technology
Vegetarian or vegan
Sustainability
Pets
Movies & TV
Van life
Self development
History
Plant care
Music
Languages
Gardening
Carpentry
Cooking & food
Books
Art & design
Animals
Outdoor activities
Camping
Fitness
Nature
Mountain
Hiking
Cycling
Adventure sports -
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You get Dutch family life in the French countryside. The kids speak Dutch and French. I speak Dutch and English and I'm learning French. I'd love to practise, so French speakers are extra welcome!
I go to Autun now and then and you can come along, also to my French conversation class if you want to work on your French. Now and then I play table tennis at a club and you can join for that too. There's a table here as well. I go running now and then and you're welcome to come along. And if you can climb and belay, we can go climbing outside together when the weather is good.
In the evening I like playing games: chess, Go, board games, whatever you bring. We often end up making kimchi or baking bread, and recently I've been making my own ice cream.
I'm happy to talk about moving abroad, living in the countryside, working remotely and running your own business. -
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
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Help
You help 25 hours a week and you divide them yourself: long days, short days, whatever fits you and the weather. Cooking counts.
All the jobs are on a board in Todoist (an app, you get access when you arrive). Each job says where it is, what you need and when it's done. See something that needs doing? Add it.
Outside: weeding, clearing brambles, mowing, pruning and firewood. The vegetable garden is a mulched permaculture garden with something to sow, plant or harvest most of the year.
Fixing and building: this is the longest list. A compost toilet and shower cabin, an outdoor shower, a kitchen for the safari tent, trenches for water and electricity, ponds to dig, a trailer that needs its lights fixed, shelves and lamps to put up, doors to paint.
In the house: cleaning, tidying and cooking.
I work from home as a web developer, weekdays 9 to 5. Those days you work on your own. In the weekend I have time to work with you, so I prefer that you take your days off during the week. Wednesday is our family day.
Sometimes I'll ask you to babysit, so it helps if you're comfortable around kids. Mine love meeting new people. :) -
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
French: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information. -
Accommodation
In the colder months you get the guest room in the house. It's a modern, comfortable room with heating, and you use the bathroom in the house. On weekdays the room is also my office, so I work there from 9 to 5. If there are more volunteers of the same sex, you share the room. It has several beds.
In the warmer months you sleep in the safari tent in the back garden. If that's rented out you get the big canvas tent. You can stand up in it and it has two real beds. There are outdoor showers.
You can always use the kitchen, the living room and the downstairs toilet. -
What else ...
House rules:
- Nobody smokes or drinks here. Not in the house, not on the land and not in your own tent. I have three young kids, so that's a hard rule, not a preference.
- I'm vegan, the kids eat mostly vegetarian. No meat or fish in the house. If you like cooking, please do! I'd love to try your recipes.
- Breakfast at 8, lunch between 12 and 2, dinner around 6. After dinner we clean up the kitchen together and vacuum.
- After 21:30 the house is quiet.
Autun is 25 minutes by car. It has restaurants, a cinema, a weekly market and a lot of Roman stuff. There's no public transport here. If you don't have a car, you can come along when I go to Autun.
The area is great for hiking, mountain biking and swimming in the lakes. I have bikes you can borrow. Ask me about the most beautiful hike around here! -
A little more information
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Internet access
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Limited internet access
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We have pets
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We are smokers
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Can host families
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Can host digital nomads
I have a 1gbit connection and have a great wired and wireless network in the house and the garden. I'm a web developer by trade, so I know my stuff.
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Space for parking camper vans
We have a big parking space at the front of the house. Comes with a nice view and electricity.
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How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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My animals / pets
Conan
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (30)
They got a lot done. Marc is a strong guy you can give the heavy jobs, he dug a pond for me. Elizabeth did the sewing. Together they cleared … read more
While staying at Stef's place, I slept in a beautiful, new, house-like tent. It was comfy and spacious. Cooking and eating for and with Stef was … read more
He's a fantastic cook! Very inventive, he can make something out of anything. Even the plates he made just for himself looked so good that I was impressed every time.
He takes his work seriously and he's really … read more
She saved an apple tree in my food forest: she picked all the apples and propped the tree up, and then she preserved the apples. She also cooked and cleaned.
It was fun to play Star Realms with her because she plays … read more
The place was quite community-centered, which as a solo traveler was nice! We ate most meals together, cooked together a lot and also worked together on a few different tasks as groups — if I ever needed help with anything I felt I could … read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.8)
Communication:
(5.0)
They got a lot done. Marc is a strong guy you can give the heavy jobs, he dug a pond for me. Elizabeth did the sewing. Together they cleared … read more
While staying at Stef's place, I slept in a beautiful, new, house-like tent. It was comfy and spacious. Cooking and eating for and with Stef was … read more
He's a fantastic cook! Very inventive, he can make something out of anything. Even the plates he made just for himself looked so good that I was impressed every time.
He takes his work seriously and he's really … read more
She saved an apple tree in my food forest: she picked all the apples and propped the tree up, and then she preserved the apples. She also cooked and cleaned.
It was fun to play Star Realms with her because she plays … read more
The place was quite community-centered, which as a solo traveler was nice! We ate most meals together, cooked together a lot and also worked together on a few different tasks as groups — if I ever needed help with anything I felt I could … read more
If you want to know what kind of person Stef is, read some of the reviews left here! For me the combination of always having the possibility for good talk and fun games, but also the opportunity … read more
For starters, he has amazing stories. I won't share them here, but for a young guy he has already lived a couple of lives.
He's a great cook! I asked him to cook a bunch of times, and he always made something great. He was cooking for my kids and other WA'ers … read more
Besides that, she's also a really hard worker. I asked her to do a lot of physical work outside in the harsh sun, and she never complained even once, and she always did the work with a smile on … read more
The best part was a game of Star Realms every evening. Benjamin draws and paints really well, and Valdemar turned out to know the … read more
Midway … read more
And … read more
He was a great cook and was constantly baking pies and desserts, which was always a nice surprise.
I would welcome him back any … read more
She's open, funny and genuinely interested in you and your life. The conversations in the evenings and during meals were really valuable. She … read more
Unfortunately, I had to … read more
I was given freedom to choose whatever jobs I thought I could contribute the most to and chose mostly outdoor work (the weather was fantastic) - driving the tractor around, … read more
He's a funny guy with interesting stories about his home country, … read more
It was fun to … read more
From the moment I arrived, he made me feel very welcome and at ease. He is a really funny and warm person who took a lot of care to make sure I was comfortable and happy.
He is a great cook and very knowledgable on all kinds of ferments, his kitchen is also super well-equipped which made cooking a delight … read more
I believe Stef perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Workaway; sure, there's a job to be done, but more important to him is that you have a great experience while you're out there. He's not strict or rigid, and everything is done on trust and … read more
He worked on building the compost toilet and brought solid woodshop skills to the project. What really made him stand out was his personality - genuinely funny and kept … read more
He took me in last minute and was very responsive and flexible while I tried to figure out my travel plans. His house is beautiful and I got to stay in a large Yurt next to the house with plenty of accommodations. The work was fun and interesting and Stef was always willing and patient to help … read more
What stood out most was how he connected with my oldest daughter; giving her piano lessons and playing games with her.
He also helped keep the kitchen tidy … read more
He was always caring for workers if they’re doing well.
We would watch some movies in the night or play games. (I watched so many good movies.)He also took me to Autun and could see many of historical relics from the Roman empire which was fascinating.
I mainly helped Stef with constructing … read more
He makes the best sourdough bread I’ve ever had. He even took the time to teach … read more
Petra was fantastic with my children - they got along really well and she even helped patiently with removing lice from their hair (not the most pleasant task, but she did it without complaint!).
In the kitchen, she was a star. Her vegan cooking was absolutely … read more
While they were here they were training for an ultramarathon, and we went running … read more
We worked on the construction of a compost toilet, did other maintaining projects around the house, helped keeping the house clean and cooked … read more
The first month, we were together, and their two lovely children played well with mine. After the period they house-sat, I noticed how my dog Pip was more drawn to them, which indicated how … read more
Maija & Janis
